Today is a perfect opportunity for Phillies starter Cole Hamels to turn his season around. The Phils are coming off a big win last night thanks to a walk-off grand slam by John Mayberry Jr, and Hamels gets to face a Marlins team that he’s had success against this year. In three starts, he has a 2.25 ERA and 21 strikeouts. He’s coming off another rough start, however–a 5 inning, six run outing against the Brewers. Hamels hasn’t pitched all that bad this year, either.

His high ERA is (in my opinion) a mix of some sub-par pitching and shoddy defense behind him. I think he’s been better than his 4.86 ERA suggests. Still, though, Hamels has to be feeling the frustration of not getting any run support, along with his defenders making it even tougher for him to pitch well and win games. This is why today is perfect for Hamels. He is facing MLB’s worst team, who were on the receiving end of a gut punch last night.

For the Marlins, Jacob Turner will get the start, and he’s coming off his season debut against the Mets where he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Mets. He only has 14 career starts, so he’ll be new to the Phillies.

Your Gameday Beer – Whirlwind Witbier
Tonight we have a gentle offering by Victory. This classic German Witbier is supremely drinkable on any evening, especially a rainy one like today. The flavor is comprised by wheat malt and yeast with notes of orange zest, coriander, and clove. Essentially, it’s another more sophisticated version of Blue Moon, if you fancy those. If you can find some fresh shellfish, like a bushel of crabs, have that with it. – By Brian